Maintenance supervisors manage the installation and repair of equipment, as well as electrical, plumbing, ventilation and other systems in residential and commercial facilities.

In addition to hiring, training and supervising maintenance workers, maintenance supervisors also diagnose problems and prescribe established repair methods. There normally are no stringent formal education demands for maintenance professionals, though experience and various certifications can lead to better and more opportunities and career advancement.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that job positions for maintenance supervisors would rise by 11 percent between 2014 and 2024. These folks should expect to make in the neighborhood of $50,000 annually.

Job Responsibilities

Maintenance supervisors are personnel managers, first and foremost. They hire employees, arrange schedules, conduct performance reviews, award promotions and take action with respect to underperforming workers. They may train workers to ensure they have every one of the required skills and understand the governmental regulations they must follow. Maintenance supervisors also grant vacation time, oversee attendance records and arrange outside counseling for issues like a death in the family or substance abuse problems.

Maintenance supervisors also have many bureaucratic responsibilities for their department. One of biggest is to make sure all regulatory obligations pertaining to operations are fulfilled as mandated by the appropriate certificate, regulation or permit. Maintenance supervisors also keep personnel records, as well as create and apply standard operating procedures for their workers. Supervisors are also responsible for looking into accidents and preparing relevant reports.

A maintenance supervisor might also make executive decisions with respect to any repair issues that crop up. They may be accountable for evaluating problems and determining what services have to be performed. Their duties also include performing primary evaluations of building systems and delegating assignments.

Job Requirements

There isn’t any one path or degree that can prepare someone to work as a maintenance supervisor. These managers commonly cut their teeth as assistants for knowledgeable and experienced maintenance workers, learning on the job.

Considerable maintenance experience is typically needed to ultimately earn the supervisor role. Maintenance employees can position themselves for advancement to the position by earning a certification that verifies their expertise and experience. The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP), the International Maintenance Institute (IMI) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) all offer this kind of certification.

All certifications are earned by achieving a certain score or better on an examination. Other requirements differ based on the certification. For instance, individuals must have a minimum of a high school, or equivalent, diploma plus maintenance experience to be qualified for the IMI’s certifications. The NAA requires a minimum of one year of on-the-job experience and includes a few training courses before applicants can take their certification test.

At Action Group, we often have open maintenance supervisor positions available and assist those who are aspiring to the position. If a career as a maintenance supervisor sounds right to you, please contact us to set up a consultation.